The newspaper in Kalamazoo had a story the other day that offered some good news. Land values in Michigan’s Allegan County had not only found the floor of the market but had seen an increase last year for the first time since 2009. The reason? An across-the-board increase in agricultural land values.

It’s a story repeated in most spots across the country, and especially here in Florida. Values on timberland, development land, or just opportunistic deals are on the rise.

Consider that the Rural Main Street Index, one the best indicators of the health of land values, has seen a positive farmland price index for 41 consecutive months. That’s an indicator tracking values in a 10-state region. Those positive numbers reflect good buying conditions in most markets.

Farmers make up a portion of the buyers, but investors are more and more seeing a value in development parcels, timberland, and farmland. The return of investors is a good sign that it’s time to buy before prices continue to rise.

At Bankers South, we have more than 80 years combined experience with everything from citrus loans to ranch financing to hard-money farm loans. We have worked on projects from $100,000 to $100 million. We have specialists on staff that can help farmers and investors find lands. We know the ins and outs because we’ve invested in hundreds of thousands of acres ourselves.

Bankers South is institutionally funded and will consider loans from $100,000 to $100 million. The specific parameters depend upon whether the type of loan sought is secured by real estate, title, or some other type of collateral.

So if you’re looking for anything from a traditional collateral-based loan to a consumer loan, we will work with you to make sure you have a structured plan that fits your goals.